Asparagus & Tarragon Soup

Last night, thinking that I was going to be starting the Master Cleanse today, I wanted to use up a bunch of veggies in my fridge that were on their way out. I had a big bunch of asparagus and a pack of tarragon, as well as a giant zucchini (seriously, it was like 14 inches long and 2 inches in girth…ew…girth…) So, I googled “asparagus tarragon” (I love you, google) and found this recipe!

That recipe served as the inspiration for my soup. I added the zucchini, and also shallots and garlic (I can’t cook without garlic). I loved the idea of browning all the veggies really well to develop that nice flavour before blending it down into a nice smooth soup. Once they’re all golden and delicious, add some stock (I used veggie) and bring it to a boil. Then let it cool down, pop it in the blender and blend til smooth. Finally, warm it back up to serve & eat! It really couldn’t be easier!!

tarragon

I thought this soup was delicious, and better yet, so did Benji! :) Tarragon is a new frontier for me; I’ve never cooked with it, or really experienced its flavour. It really reminded me of licorice while it was raw, but once cooked down, it had a totally different flavour (which was a good thing if you ask me, cuz I’m not a big fan of licorice).

All in all, a successful dinner! Easy, yummy, healthy and resourceful! No veggies went to waste and all bellies were filled! :)

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Green Thumb

So yesterday I showed you my basil cutting growing roots, as well as the pot I decorated here, but here they are together!

pot o' basil

Also, the pomegranate tree that I planted back in September 2009, finally has its first fruit!

Update: Benji is disgruntled that I did not give the others involved any credit for this pomegranate. My bad. Benji & I bought the pomegranate tree (really more like a bush) together, and subsequently had my dad arrange digging a hole and actually putting it in the ground.

perfect pomegranate

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Step 2: Sprout!

As I mentioned before, my  bf & I invested in this newfangled automatic sprouter that is meant to make sprouting a lot easier. So, according to the directions, you set the timer, add the seeds to the trays, fill the reservoir with water, and then just plug she in! So…I did just that. It even drains right into the sink-no fuss!

there she is! fancy set-up in the laundry!

And here’s a shot of the seed “cartridges”…I set them up with some seeds I’ve had laying around for a while…who knows if they’re anymore good, but I’m trying… They’re Basil, Parsley, Oregano and Thyme…but not necessarily in that order…I think I also threw some Snapdragon seeds in there.

trays of soon-to-be herbal goodness!

So far, unfortunately, nothing really appears to be sprouting, and it’s been about a week. One tray of seeds has some tiny shoots, but I think the seeds might have just been past their prime in the first place, so I’m gonna try again with some new seeds.

Something else to note is that instead of using just plain water, we’ve been using this stuff called “Ocean Grown Solution”. It’s a concentrated solution which supposedly contains like 90 minerals and stuff which used to be in soil back at like…the beginning of time! I’ve also been using it on my house plants, and the results are amazing! I wish I had taken some before/after pix, because there is a noticeable difference in the health and appearance of the plants, in just a short time! I highly recommend!!

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